To read 10 extra chapters go to my Patreón
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Link in the synopsis as well.
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The next day everyone was getting ready to leave. They were all packing their stuff. Tsunami had packed a lot of food for the two groups and Sakura was helping her. This mission had taught Sakura a lot. Not in terms of skills and strength but what a shinobi goes through. She had been a little quiet since yesterday but that didn't bother Kakashi as he knew something like this was bound to happen. He had seen many genins quit being shinobi only because they cannot handle all this bloodshed.
Lee and Neji shared the same room while Sasuke and Yami shared a room. Lee was already ready with his stuff and went outside the house with Guy. Neji was busy packing in the room with his back at the door. He suddenly heard the door open slowly. Neji looked back and saw Yami standing at the door. Yami wasn't coming in nor was he saying anything which confused Neji.
'Why is he here? He has never taken the initiative to come to me. He always has a cold expression but this time I can't feel the coldness and aloofness from him.' Neji thought. He asked
"What is it Yami?"
"Do you think Tazuna would be alive and his bridge would have been built if he accepted his destiny?" Yami asked.
Neji frowned when he heard that as the word destiny rang a bell in his head and a loud one. He had always been told that his destiny was to serve the main clan and that's one of the reasons he hated the main family as well as Hinata. He even believed that his father was made a scapegoat by the main family and killed.
"What do you mean Yami? You aren't one to beat around the bushes so say what you want."
"I will say the same thing I said when we first met...
YOU ARE WEAK...
But now you aren't just weaker than me but also weaker than old man Tazuna. He had the courage to stand up to his destiny and fight against it rather than accepting it and directing hatred toward others.
You are weaker than Naruto who failed the graduation exams twice because his clones were pathetic but now shadow clone is his most powerful jutsu.
You are weaker than Lee to whom everyone said that he couldn't become a shinobi because he can't use chakra. But he fought against his destiny and today he is a shinobi with Taijutsu skills enough to rival a jonin.
What I want is for you to open your mind and think. Because someone who accepts his destiny and cries about it is a person with a weak mind. And a shinobi with a weak mind is a weak shinobi and I have no intention of keeping a weak shinobi in my squad." Yami said and left.
He did this not just to copy the fight between Neji and Naruto in the canon because Yami always felt that Neji had stopped working hard like before after he reconciled with the main clan. He did become a jonin before others but his strength didn't see much increase because he wasn't as ambitious as before. Yami only wanted Neji to realize all this himself rather than getting beat by Naruto.
Neji sat there like a statue staring at the open door when Yami stood a few seconds ago. His mind was a mess. He was angry that Yami called him weak. He knew he was weaker than Yami but he always saw himself as superior to Lee and Naruto. But now Yami had touched a lot of his open wounds. Neji subconsciously activated his Byakugan and grit his teeth.
'H-How dare he? He called me weaker than Lee. Weaker than Naruto. An idiot who is all talk and no bite. And weak than Tazuna.' Neji thought as he was gritting his teeth. But suddenly Yami's words echoed in his mind
'Directing hatred toward others....Open your mind and think.'
Neji instantly became calm. He realized that he was doing just want Yami pointed out. Directing his inner hatred toward others.
'Do I really hate the main clan? Did they really kill my father? What has Hinata and Hanabi done for me to hate them? Have I accepted my destiny? Can I change it like others did?' A long list of questions started popping in Neji's mind. He decided that he will talk to the patriarch after he reaches the village. As Yami said he won't give up just because someone said his destiny is to serve the main clan.
After a few minutes, Team 7 and Team 9 left the Land of waves. There were some tears in the eyes of Tsunami and Inari but Sakura and Naruto promised to visit again in the future. The 2 teams kept traveling toward the hidden village. Neji was quiet the whole time. He didn't interact with anyone. Guy and Kakashi did notice it but they knew that Neji was the quiet type so he won't say anything even if they asked him.
After a day of traveling the two teams reached the hidden leaf village. While entering the village they saw that the village was more crowded than usual. There were many merchants from all over the Land of fire and some had even come from other lands.
'Looks like the chunin exams are near. Every time of the year the village is bustling with people wanting to do business.' Yami thought. Kakashi and Guy left to give Hiruzen the report and the kids were free to go. Neji left without saying anything. Naruto was also feeling hungry so he went to Ichiraku's.
"Yami should we go home or you need anything from the market?" Sasuke asked.
Yami thought for a few seconds and said "Let's go and meet old man Jiro."
Sasuke tilted his face and asked "Are you facing some problem with your sword?"
"Nahh...I need something made. I do have the design in mind but I am sure with the expertise of grandpa Jiro it can be made. If it turns out good then you should get one as well." Yami said.
"Me too? But don't we have our sword as a weapon?" Sasuke asked still confused.
"You ask a lot of questions big brother. Let's go already." Yami said as he dragged Sasuke toward the blacksmith shop.
A small smile appeared on Sasuke's face when he heard Yami call him big brother. Times like these make Sasuke forget that Yami isn't just a stronger shinobi but also his little brother. Sasuke happily let Yami drag him to Jiro's blacksmith shop.
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To read 10 extra chapters go to my Patreón
https://patreon.com/lazarus898/
Link in the synopsis as well.